With signs pointing to a possible settlement between the NHL and its players' union, informational phone calls between the league and the NHLPA were held between the sides Saturday, focusing on clarifying the league's latest offer of nearly 300 pages.

The NHL's offer included movement from the league on contract rules and introduced compliance buyouts for the first time during these negotiations.

The NHL and NHLPA are having information sessions on the NHL's latest proposal. (AP Photo)

It also included $300 million in deferred transition payments to the players, something the league had taken off the table when talks broke down earlier this month.

A person familiar with key points of the offer told The Associated Press that the league proposed raising the limit of individual free-agent contracts to six years from five — seven years if a team re-signs its own player; raising the salary variance from one year to another to 10 percent, up from 5 percent; and one compliance buyout for the 2013-14 season that wouldn't count toward a team's salary cap but would be included in the overall players' share of income.

The latest proposal is for 10 years, running through the 2021-22 season, with both sides having the right to opt out after eight years.

The initial thought was that the sides would get together Sunday in New York to hold official negotiations for the first time in weeks, but those hadn't been scheduled before discussions ended Saturday.

The players' association's executive board and negotiating committee went over the new proposal during an internal conference call Friday.

In addition to reports during the week of players opting out of contracts with European teams, two other intriguing items hinted that the league might have a season after all. Thinking back to the shortened 1994-95 season, 48 games are possible.

Second, the New York Post posted word that the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets could switch conferences for the limited season. The thought here: Because of the condensed schedule, moving the Jets into the Western Conference and the Jackets into the East would ease travel. Geographically, that would likely mean the Jackets would be in the Southeast Division with the Jets moving to the Central Division.

An adjunct to the Jets-Jackets switch: Teams will only play within their conference, which would require some schedule adjustments.

Tossing the original wouldn't be all that difficult, considering 625 games, including the New Year's Day Winter Classic, have been scrubbed in cancellations. The All-Star Game has also been canceled. Realignment remains an open question.

If nothing else, the pressure to settle rises with Jan. 11's approach. Reports during the week pegged that as the drop-dead date for a 48-game season. If a settlement on a collective bargaining agreement is reached by then, it would allow training camps to open within days and games to start on Jan. 19.

The sides haven't gotten together since Dec. 13 with federal mediators.